Background

ACT, in partnership with WFP, is conducting a Food Security, Livelihood, and Agriculture (FSLA) Assessment across 12 districts of Punjab: Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Jhang, Khanewal, Multan, Muzaffargarh, Rahim Yar Khan, Lodhran, Vehari, Bahawalnagar, Rajanpur, and Layyah. The assessment aims to generate reliable, evidence-based data on household food security, income sources, coping mechanisms, and agricultural practices to inform humanitarian and development programming.

Data will be collected from 3000 households (approx. 250 households per district) over a 15-day fieldwork period, using Android-based ODK tools. Enumerators will form an integral part of the district teams responsible for high-quality, ethical, and timely data collection.

Role Purpose

The Quality Assurance Officer is the primary guardian of data quality, ethical compliance, and protection standards throughout the entire assessment. He will ensure that the survey meets WFP and international humanitarian standards on accuracy, completeness, impartiality, gender sensitivity, and Do No Harm principles.

Key Responsibilities

Real-Time Data Quality Control

• Perform same-day review, cleaning, and validation of all uploaded surveys using ODK validation rules, GPS coordinates, geotagged photos, and interview duration checks.
• Run daily quality dashboards and flag inconsistencies, outliers, skip-pattern errors, or incomplete forms immediately.

Field Monitoring & Validation

• Conduct daily field accompaniment at selected spots, spot-checks, and validate at least 10–15% of total surveys.
• Carry out telephone back-checks on a minimum 10 % of sampled households.
• Verify informed consent, confidentiality, and respectful engagement with respondents.

Feedback and Follow-up

• Provide structured daily feedback (written reports and WhatsApp groups) to District Supervisors and enumerators.
• Organize immediate corrective actions in the field when recurring issues are identified.

Protection, Gender & Cultural Sensitivity

• Ensure female enumerators interview female respondents wherever possible and that purdah and local norms are fully respected.
• Guarantee inclusion of women, elderly, persons with disabilities, and marginalized groups in the sample.
• Act as first focal point for any protection or gender-related concerns from respondents or team members.

Ethical and Safeguarding Compliance

• Enforce strict adherence to:
• ACT and WFP Code of Conduct
• Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA)
• Child Safeguarding Policy
• Do No Harm and Data Protection principles
• IASC Gender Handbook and Sphere Standards
• Immediately report any suspected violation through established channels.

Required Qualifications & Experience

• Master’s degree in statistics, economics, social sciences, M&E, development studies, or related field.
• Minimum 4 years of proven data quality assurance experience on large-scale household surveys, preferably WFP/UN-led FSLA.
• Formal training in PSEA, Gender in Humanitarian Action, or Data Responsibility is highly desirable.
• Fluency in English and Urdu; working knowledge of Saraiki strongly preferred.
• Ability to work long hours under intense pressure and spend extended periods in rural, flood-affected areas.

 Core Values & Safeguarding:

ACT International is committed to integrity, accountability, inclusion, safeguarding, and Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA). The post holder is expected to uphold ACT’s Code of Conduct, Safeguarding Policy, PSEA standards, and all relevant ethical and professional standards at all times, ensuring a safe, respectful, and dignified environment for all stakeholders

Note: Due to the emergency nature of this hiring, applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. ACT International reserves the right to fill the position before the closing date; therefore, interested candidates are encouraged to apply at the earliest opportunity.